Overview

Education and training sciences

The education and training sciences investigate how people learn to live a self-responsible life. In doing so, they look at the educational reality both in family and society as well as in schools and socio-educational institutions.

The study field at a glance

The main task of educational scientists is, in addition to advising individuals and groups in various areas of life, conceptual work in education and training. They develop and test target-group-specific programs and also become active in educational, teaching and consulting work (including the administration and management of corresponding institutions).

In these studies, a basic understanding of pedagogical thinking, questioning and methodological foundations as well as the social prerequisites of education is taught.

In the advanced courses, learning processes and the organization and planning of educational processes are in the foreground. The students acquire appropriate job-related skills depending on the desired specialization, such as pedagogy of early childhood, rehabilitation and special education, company pedagogy or personnel development, adult education, educational management and further education.

Offered courses

Universities of applied sciences and universities offer Bachelor's and Master's degrees in education and training.

Possible study titles are vocational education, educational management, curative education / including pedagogy, engineering education, cultural and media education, rehabilitation education, special education, integrative learning therapy, Waldorf education, business education.

In the master's program students focus on specialized research- and application-related modules such as educational theory and processes, international educational research, adult education, media didactics, migration and intercultural education, extracurricular youth education, pedagogy of early childhood, cultural education, education and learning counseling, educational economics and planning, organizational development.

Contents of the course

The bachelor's program teaches educational fundamentals through modules such as elementary questions and basic concepts of educational science, education, learning and learning processes, media and educational communication, lifelong learning and lifelong education, methods of empirical education and social research, qualitative and quantitative data analysis in the Educational and social research, vocational orientation, didactics of vocational education, introduction to vocational education, development of institutions of vocational education, educational psychology, quality management in education and training. There is also content from reference sciences, such as psychology and the social sciences.

In cultural and media education, for example, the following contents are taught: Basics of cultural and media education, cultural sociology and intercultural studies, theoretical and historical aspects of cultural and media studies.

In rehabilitation education, for example, psycho-diagnostics and intervention, psychological and sociological foundations of rehabilitation and law are important subjects.

As a rule, two to three months of practical work in schools and institutions of adult education, social education, business training or similar are required.

Possible careers after graduation

Educational and educational scientists find work in the educational system outside the school. Employment opportunities exist, for example at:

  • Adult education institutions
  • Facilities for physically challenged
  • Counseling facilities, e.g. educational counseling, pregnancy conflict counseling
  • Recreation, and sports centers
  • Retirement homes, old-age education facilities
  • Educational facilities of cities and counties, e.g. youth centers
  • Educational institutions (e.g. application training, coaching, vocational integration, supervision of pre-employment measures, teaching)
  • Kindergartens and pre-school education facilities
  • The main tasks of the curative educators are in the field of youth and disability assistance. They are e.g. active in school preparatory institutions, day nursery schools, kindergartens and homes, sheltered workshops and residences, educational counseling centers, child and adolescent psychiatric clinics and rehabilitation centers.
  • Business educators can undertake training and educational activities in companies and non-governmental institutions, such as corporate education and human resources, adult education, educational administration and counseling, or personnel and organizational development.

Depending on the field of application, knowledge in the commercial sector, in human resources, additional therapeutic qualifications as well as IT skills should be demonstrated.